Detachable base for toy figures



Dec. 9, 1952 3nnentor: CONSTANCE RAY WHITE I Bu \HA I attorney Patented Dec. 9, 1952 UNI TED STATES PATENT F FICE DETACHABLE BASE FOR TOY FIGURES Constance Ray White, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Application November 23, 1949, SerialNo.1Z9,133

My inventionirelates to dolls or similar 'fi'gures and, more particularly, to figures provided with broad bases in order to enable the figures to stand firmly in erectposition.

Objects of 'my invention are to make possible the optional use of a figure withorwithoutsupporting base,th'ereby to provide a figure that is firmly supported in erect position when the base is attached to the figure and that can be. carried or laid .down without the base, and thereby to avoid the drawbacks which a broad base has when not positioned horizontally, these drawbacks comprising unnatural appearance and obstruction of correctly lying position of the figure.

Other objects are to connect the figure and the base detachably in such a manner that the figure is reliably secured to the base in a correctly standing position, to avoid any substantial obstruction of the figures visibility by the base, to facilitate a quick and easy assemblage and disassemblage of figure and base, and to provide a combination between a figure and a base adapted for being used as a toy or for display.

Further objects are to attain these results with simple and inexpensive means, and to provide an article of the nature described that can be easily and quickly manufactured.

Still other objects and advantages will appear from the following description of an exemplifying embodiment of my invention, from the appended claim and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a vertical central cross-section of an illustrative embodiment of my invention, this cross-section being taken along the line II in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows a horizontal cross-section of the same embodiment, taken along the line 2-2 in Fi 1.

Fig. 3 shows a partly sectional front view of the same embodiment, the sectionally represented part being out along the broken line 33 in Fig. 2, the upper part of the figure being broken 01f.

Referring to the drawing, numeral 4 indicates a figure simulating a child standing on two feet 5. The lower sides of these feet constitute a surface which, when the feet are measured according to true proportions of the figure, is necessarily small in comparison with the distance of the figures center of gravity from the surface. Hence the feet 5 can not support the figure firmly: but the figure is apt to topple or to fall down upon any slight touch or push or when the feet are placed on a surface that is not accurately 1 Claim. (Cl. 248 361) horizontal. According to my invention. .a firm support of ith'efigureis established by attaching thef'e'etl5 .to ia base 'constitu'ted by the parts described in the following.

.Themain'b'ody of this base is formed by a plate 6 positioned under the.feet55 and extending'ihorizontally overan area thatis muchbroaderand longer than thesur'f'ace area constituted by the lower sides of the feet 5. The circumference of the plate-6 may beshaped like aheart of which the point liesin front of the feet and of which the central line of symmetry lies in the same verticalplane as the central line of symmetry of the feet.

An abutment "I forms :an integral upward-extension of'the plate 6. This abutment is positioned near "the rear side of the plate, and its front contacts the rear side of the feet 5. Preferably, the abutment I has a uniform small height and forms two identical and symmetrically positioned arcs which are concave at the front side and meet between the feet 5.

A rim 8 extends from the circumference of the plate 6 downwardly and has a lower horizontal and even surface 9 adapted to support the plate and the figure when the latter is attached to the plate. A shallow cavity I I is positioned under the plate 6 and within the rim 8.

Two small posts I2 extend vertically along the inner side of the rim 8 and are integrally connected with this rim and with the plate 6. Preferably, these posts are positioned at symmetrically opposite sides of the cavity I I and laterally with respect to the feet 5. Each post I2 has a small recess I3 in its lower surface whereby the post forms a hook which is open at the bottom. The plate 6 has two openings I4 which are positioned symmetrically at opposite outer sides of the feet 5. Preferably, each opening I4 is positioned adjacently to the inner side of one of the posts I2.

An elongated and resiliently stretchable element I5 is preferably constituted by a narrow coiled spring which is diagrammatically shown in the drawing. The terminal windings of this spring are bent into the shape of loops or rings I6. These loops are hooked into the recesses I3. From the hooked ends, the element I5 extends through the openings l4 and, between these openings, spans over the front portions of the feet 5. The length of the element I5 is so measured that it extends under some tension in an are from one opening I4 over the feet to the other opening I4.

The resilient pressure exerted by the element I 5 holds the feet 5 in the shown position in which the bottoms of the feet contact the plate 6 and the rear sides of the feet contact the abutment I. The curved shape of the element I5 co-operates with the curved shape of the abutment 1 in counteracting lateral dislocation of the feet whereby the figure 4 is secured in a position symmetric with respect to the supporting base. In this position, the base extends broadly to all sides around the vertical line passing through the center of gravity of the figure 4 and, hence, supports the figure firmly.

The figure can be easily separated from the base by a slight pull which draws the feet 5 out of the arc formed by the element l5. When the feet are removed in this manner, the element l5 will slightly shorten its length. For renewed attachment, the feet are pressed under the median part of the element [5 while the latter is resiliently stretched so far as necessary to receive and to secure the feet. I desire it understood that my invention is not confined to the particular embodiment shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that my invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention as it is obvious that the particular embodiment shown and described is only one of the many that may be employed to attain the objects of my invention.

Having described the nature of my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A base for supporting a figure having feet; said bas comprising a plate having an even top surface for supporting the feet of a figure thereon, an abutment member extending upwardly from said top surface adjacent the rear edge of the latter and including two forwardly concave portions meeting at the center thereof for contact with the heels of the supported feet, and a continuous elongated coil spring member extending transversely across the top of said plate adjacent said abutment and anchored to said plate at its opposite ends for providing a tensioned arc to span the supported feet to urge the latter downwardly onto said even top surface and rearwardly against said abutment, said base also including a downwardly extending marginal rim on said plate, said plate having an opening extending therethrough adjacent each of the side edges thereof to receive the opposite end portions of said spring member, and a post formed inside said rim adjacent each of said openings to receive the coil at the adjacent end of said spring member thereby providing a hidden attachment for said spring member to said plate.

. CONSTANCE RAY WHITE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

